Maria Hill Is Not A Robot
by anothersouladrift
Summary: Starts out as The Avengers movie from Maria Hill's point of view. Continues on post avengers, following the development of Steve and Maria's relationship.
1. Chapter 1

Lieutenant Hill didn't always agree with Director Fury, regardless of what some members of The Avengers might say. For example, right now she didn't agree with his decision to make removing the Phase II prototypes a priority. That didn't however, mean that she was going to disobey his direct order. She got Coulson to help, and began directing traffic as the weapons were evacuated, as well as any remaining staff. There was a loud noise, but she just urged her operatives to work faster.

Barton came out, with a few agents, that scientist, and someone who Hill didn't recognize.

"Who's that?"

"Didn't tell me."

"Hill… Do you copy?" Fury's voice crackled over her radio. "Barton has turned."

Hill didn't have time to properly process the information. She reacted quickly, seeking cover, and returning fire, when Barton began firing at her. She didn't know what was happening, only that she had to stop Barton from escaping. She quickly jumped into a jeep, and followed the departing vehicles. She thought she might be able to head them off, if she was quick enough. She turned a corner and was face to face with the other vehicle. She was staring Barton in the face when she pulled her gun and fired. Somehow in the firefight, she got behind them, and all she could think about is how the roof is going to come crashing down on her head. And then it did.

Hill made it out from under the ruble, and after a quick check in with Fury, began to look for survivors. After twelve hours of search and rescue operations, Fury called her. "Report to base."

Lieutenant Maria Hill arrived at the helicarrier exhausted, but before she even made it to her quarters for a shower, a young operative caught her and handed her a file. He waited for her to return his solute, and then scurried off. Hill snorted after him. She doesn't much care what people think of her, so she tends to come off as cold and distant. Which is fine. But sometimes it can scare the young ones so much that it gets a bit hilarious. As Hill headed for her quarters, she mulled over his reaction. She hadn't even been on the helicarrier for a few days. Perhaps someone has been spreading rumors again. Hill reached her door, and decided to simply forget about it. She entered her quarters and dropped her bag. She sat down on her bed to peruse the file the operative had handed her. Inside were extraction plans for each of the Avengers. There was also some generalized information about each Avenger, strengths, weaknesses, background information, as well as current location, and agent in charge of bringing them in. Hill shook her head, and sighed, putting the file aside. She knew in her gut that the Avengers Initiative was a bad idea. Heck, she had even tried to explain why it was such a truly bad idea to Fury, but he hadn't even bothered to pretend to listen. He didn't seem to understand the concept of not putting all your eggs in one basket. Or the fact that even if he could somehow manage to put together a team of six highly egotistical, self centered, and self serving people, AND somehow get them to work together, there was nothing to keep them loyal to SHIELD or Fury. Absolutely nothing. And Fury did not seem to realize exactly how dangerous that situation could prove to be.

After Hill showered and got a good nights sleep, (or you know, four hours) she got up and dressed in her uniform. She arrived on the bridge of the helicarrier, and began to look over that days briefings. The majority of her day, it appeared, was going to be monitoring the arrival, greeting, and management of The Avengers. Fantastic.


	2. Chapter 2

Hill monitored the arrival of all The Avengers from the bridge, and then gave the order to begin preparations for flight. She was in the middle of the preflight checklist when the door to the bridge slid open. She continued on down her list, focusing on her work. She turned and gave her report to Fury, "We're clear." She called out his commands. She was in the zone, her element, taking orders following procedure, this is what Lieutenant Hill loved. She stood beside a station, monitoring feeds, but also trying to simultaneously see who had entered the bridge, now that the hard part was over. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a tall, blond man hand Fury money. She turned to get a better look, as he strode down the center walkway. She recognized him from her files. Captain America, aka Steve Rogers, aka member of the Avengers, aka America's Hero, aka Really Attractive Man. Hill shook her head. Where had that come from? Hill turned back to her readout after glancing over at Doctor Banner and Agent Romanoff. That just left… Stark. Hill shuddered at the thought. She loathed the man. He was always joking, constantly late, a huge distraction, and incredibly egotistical… Hill could go on and on. But mostly it was the fact that everytime she had seen him, without fail, he had managed to squeeze in a comment about her uniform, and it's apparent skintight-ness. Hill sighed. It was only a matter of time till the prick showed up. Oh god. Was Coulson asking Captain Rogers to sign his cards? That was hilarious. Hill tried not to laugh as Rogers, of course, gracefully accepted.

Hill coordinated the op from the helicarrier, listening over the comms to the banter between Captain Rogers and Loki. She rolled her eyes as _Shoot to Thrill_ came on over the comms system. ACDC could only mean one thing - Tony Stark.

Hill listened to Agent Romanoff's assessment of what had occurred on the ground.

"Well after the guy showed up on the roof, he kidnapped Loki, and then Stark followed him. And right now I'm pretty sure Cap just went down there and smashed everybody over the head with his shield."

Hill covered her laugh with a cough and asked, "ETA?"

"Ten minutes out, see you in a few, Hill."

"Copy that, over and out."

When the team arrived back, Hill was charged with wrangling the Avengers onto the bridge. She turned on the cameras and microphone in the cells so that everyone on the bridge could hear and see the interrogation. Afterwards, Captain Rogers jumped right into strategizing, questioning Thor on Loki's next move. Hill stood back, listening to the team try to work out Loki's plan, when suddenly Stark entered the room. Hill rolled her eyes. There goes any hope of a productive planning meeting. Stark wandered over to Fury's station.

"How does Fury even see these?

This time Hill kept the eye roll internal. "He turns." She answered in a clipped tone. Hill could tell this was really going to try her patience, but when Fury snarked about 'flying monkeys' and Captain Rogers quickly jumped in with "I understood that reference," she thought that this might not be so terrible after all.

After generating a list of all the labs that SHIELD had access to, Hill passed it off to Coulson, and a few other agents to start making phone calls to get the proper equipment set up. Hill returned to her station, looking over the readout for the internal report. A blinking icon on her screen indicated that a sealed door was malfunctioning on C-deck. Hill made a note of it in the maintenance log. After that, Hill got swept up in the one hundred little tasks and problems which come with running an invisible helicarrier. Hill was the second in command, meaning almost every aspect of the running of this ship when through her. She handled as many details as possible, so that Fury could do his job effectively. Right now, Fury had sent Agent Romanoff in with Loki. Hill was carefully monitoring every second of the exchange over the comms. She watched as Romanoff wound the story that she and Fury had agreed upon. Suddenly, an alarm started blaring on an agent's console. Hill raced over, "Virus Detected" the screen blinked. She turned to look for Fury, only to find him already staring at the screen. He made eye contact with Hill, then turned and stormed off the bridge.

"Loki means to unleash the Hulk." Agent Romanoff's voice came over the comm in Hill's ear. Well fuck.

An explosion rattled the ship. "All hands to stations!" Hill yelled. She scrambled to a console, looking at the damage readout.

"Hill!"

"External detonation, Number three engine is down!"

Hill raced over to the agent in charge of engine number three repairs, and got an update. "Somebody's gotta get outside and patch that engine."

It's a blur for Hill as she runs through emergency procedure. She knows what to do, she's trained for this, and been in far worse situations in the past; falling out of the sky is something Lieutenant Hill is used to.

"We need full evac on the hangar bay." Fury barked at her. She nodded, and gestured for two agents to follow her. "Grenade!" Hill yelled, hopping over a safety bar and hitting the deck. Fury already had two guys taken out and another was coming through the door when Hill stood. She aimed her gun, and squeezed the trigger, taking him out, and then ducked for cover. More men were coming through the door. Voices were calling out over the comms, Hill catches something about Thor and Hulk. "Sir, the Hulk will tear this place apart!"

"Get his attention" is the response.

Hill directs an escort to engage Banner, warning him not to get too close. The escort goes down, but according to the pilot, the Hulk when down with the plane.

Suddenly the plane was tilting drastically, Engine one has been disabled. The helicarrier was going to drop unless Stark could get engine three back online. God help them all.

Hill called medics to the bridge, now that the fighting is over. Stark had somehow managed to get engine three back. A medic told Hill to sit down. Apparently her head was bleeding. But Hill couldn't feel it. "Agent Coulson is down." Now Hill couldn't feel anything.


	3. Chapter 3

Hill didn't have time to mourn. She stood up, and began coordinating the bridge crew. There is clean up, first aid, and not to mention getting the computers back up. She worked for an indeterminable time before Stark and Captain Rogers showed up. They sat down at the conference table. Quiet, somber. Hill stood over to the side, trying not to think too hard about why. Fury came in, and addressed Stark and Captain Rogers. "These were in Phil Coulson's jacket." The statement made Hill's eyebrows raise. She knew that Coulson would never keep those in his jacket. They might bend, or scratch, or get a bullet hole. They had most definitely been in his locker, which meant that Fury was lying. Why? Oh. He was trying to get a response from Stark and Captain Rogers. An emotion. He wants them to want revenge. Hill wished he would stop. Could he not see that Captain Rogers felt it? The loss of such a kind man? It was written right there on his face. Or even Stark? That he felt it, the weight of his death darkening his personality? There was no point to it. After Stark walked out, Fury stalked back over to his station. Hill was about to join him, but she decided she needs a second.

Just one moment to herself before she had to be one hundred and ten percent again. One second to mourn the loss of Phil Coulson. She leaned against the safety bar, head bowed, eyes closed. She wasn't praying. Hill didn't believe in God. With an alcoholic, abusive father, how could she? She was just trying to give Phil a moment of silence. At least in her thoughts. Hill started when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Everyone in SHIELD knows better than to touch her. Captain Rogers was standing next to her, still partially in his uniform. He quickly removed his hand. "I'm sorry" is all he said, then he turned and walked away. Hill shook herself and walked back to her station.

Once the plane is stolen, Hill's job was mostly done. The Avengers were finally off the helicarrier, and all that was left for her to do is a pile of paper work. Except she couldn't seem to tear herself away from the comms. Listening to The Avengers, and the sounds of their coordinating, and fighting. The council called, she got Fury for them. She could overhear what Fury and the council were discussing. They wanted him to nuke Manhattan?

"Sir, we have a bird in motion!" Hill scrambled, trying to override the liftoff sequence. The bird took off. Hill sat down. There was nothing left for her to do. It was all down to the Avengers. Stark intercepted the bomb, an flew it into the hole in space. Hill exhaled the breath she had been holding. Maybe she had been wrong about Stark.

"They'll come back."

"Why?"

"Because we'll need them to. And because we are going to be monitoring them."

"But I thought you told the council.."

"Your assignment is waiting for you in your quarters. Read the file, then head out."

"Yes sir."

The file said that SHIELD was going to be closely monitoring the Avengers. Stark and Banner weren't difficult, they were both staying at Stark tower. Romanoff and Barton were probably going to one of their safehouses. Hill thanked god she hadn't been assigned those two. Which left Captain Rogers. He had apparently taken off on his motorcycle. Interesting. Hill packed her bag, and changed into civvies. Time to bring out her bike again.


	4. Chapter 4

After relieving Captain Rogers' original tail in Greenfield, Massachusetts, Maria Hill continued to follow him north. She didn't really know where he was planning on going, but north was fine with her. It was getting later in the year, and it would be cold, but no snow yet, which meant good weather for motorcycles. Hill had loved motorcycles for a long time, but hadn't had the chance to ride one for a while. It was a nice break from always flying everywhere. As she followed Captain Rogers, she tried to hypothesize why he would be headed north. He didn't have any family left. Maybe to visit an old army buddy? Hill dismissed it as too difficult. He hadn't aged a day, and they had aged seventy years. Maybe just a road trip then? It was possible. Steve had travelled around the states before, but that was seventy years ago. Maybe he wanted to see how things had changed.

That night Steve found a little motel off the side of the road. Hill cut her engine, watching as he booked a room and then headed up. Number 20…6? After he entered, Hill restarted her bike and headed for the motel. She got a room, but the problem was they put her right next to the Captain. Which meant she had to sneak by his door and window. Hill grabbed her stuff and walked quietly up the steps. As she made her way down the walk she kept her eyes trained on Captain Rogers' door. She got her key out, and took three quick steps past his door and window. She unlocked her door and stepped in to the room in one smooth motion. She leaned against the door after she had closed it. Whew.

Hill went about her nightly routine, setting up her alarm clock, showering, and getting ready for bed. She didn't have to be worried about losing the Captain. He had brought a cell phone which was GPS enabled, so if she lost him she would be able to find him again if he had cell phone service. As long as he didn't leave his phone somewhere.

The next morning Hill was up before Captain Rogers, but only just barely. She ate a power bar at the hotel while he went and got breakfast at a diner across the street. Hill packed up her gear, and as soon as she heard his motorcycle pull out, she headed downstairs.

The day passed pretty quickly. Hill loved riding motorcycles, and the area was really pretty. She was a good tail, always staying just out of sight. She had had years of training, but given that Captain Rogers was military, (and a super soldier) she was extra cautious. Hill enjoyed getting to see another side to the Captain. He stopped whenever someone had car trouble. He had pulled over four times to help people the first day. The next, a farmer had somehow managed to dump his entire truck of baled hay onto the road. Steve didn't hesitate to hop off his bike and help him reload it, making friendly conversation the whole time. Steve turned down the man's offer to pay him, and after a firm handshake got back on his bike. A week passed, with the Captain never really staying anywhere, but stopping to give a helping hand. One day, they were riding through a more populated area, and some kids were playing baseball. Captain Rogers pulled up and asked if they would mind if an old man like him played a game. Hill watched from the shadowy alley down the block as Captain played baseball with all the kids in the neighborhood. He pitched, and let the really young ones get walks. Hill smirked when it was his turn to bat, and he missed horribly twice before finally getting a bunt in. After a few hours he said goodbye, and got back on his bike. He drove by the dark alley where Hill was hidden without a second glance.

Hill fell into his routine, waking up at six, on the road by seven, driving all day, stopping if something caught his fancy, or if he found someone to help, which was often. It occurred to her that this must have been what Captain Rogers was like before the serum. Sweet, and gentle, and kind to a fault.

One day, about two weeks in, Hill lost Captain Rogers. He had been driving along on a highway that wound through a dense forest, when suddenly, she couldn't see him when she came around the corner. She sped up, thinking he must have just taken off, but after a minute, she turned around. Had he gone off the road? On her way back, she barely saw it, but there was a small side road, unpaved, and winding. Captain Rogers must have gone through here. She rode her bike for a ways, but seeing a clearing up ahead, cut the engine, and pulled it off the road. She hid it quickly with some ferns and leaves, and then headed towards the clearing.

She approached the clearing quietly, and just off the side of the road. At first, she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. It was a large meadow, filled with grass and some sort of wildflower or weed that bloomed. The meadow was surrounded on all sides by more thick woods. There didn't appear to be anywhere to go. As she was turning to head back, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. There. Captain Rogers was laid out in the middle of the field. He had something in his hands, like a notepad. Maybe he was writing something? Hill stood on the edge of the field, unsure what to do. She hadn't felt like she was intruding on anything while she had followed the Captain until right now. This, this seemed private, like something he would only do if he knew for sure no one was watching. He looked so innocent, so serene, just laying there in the middle of a meadow. Hill stood there for a long time, unsure what do to, when suddenly Captain Rogers shifted position. He appeared to have finished whatever he was doing. He rolled onto his back, and put his hands behind his head. Hill made a decision. She would go back, and wait by her bike until he went back to the main road. Just as she began to turn, she was startled by Captain Rogers voice calling, "Lieutenant Hill!"


	5. Chapter 5

"Lieutenant Hill!" Captain Rogers called again.

Hill who had frozen at the first calling of her name, turned slowly back to the direction of the voice. Captain Rogers was still in the same spot in the middle of the meadow, but had sat up, and was looking fixedly at her. Hill cleared her throat. She'd never actually been caught while tailing someone before. Hill decided to just go with it. She strode towards him and called out, "Captain Rogers."

When she reached his feet he was looking up at her, grinning. "So you gonna sit down, or what?" Hill was a bit taken back, but sat down beside him anyway. Now that she was closer, she could see that the tablet he had been working on was actually an art notepad. Interesting.

Hill didn't see any point in beating around the bush. "I'm not going to apologize for following you. They were my orders, and I followed them."

Captain Rogers seemed to consider that for a second. "Alright."

Alright? "Alright? You don't mind that SHIELD, who told you point blank that you were free to come and go as you please, without a babysitter, or a handler lied to your face?" Maria asked, getting a bit upset at the lack of reaction. If SHIELD had ordered someone to follow her without her knowledge, she would have been more than a little upset at that breach in privacy.

"Well, no. I mean, yes, I am upset that SHIELD felt the need to have someone tail me, but you were just following orders, so I'm not gonna take that out on you."

Oh. That actually made a lot of sense. "Alright." Satisfied, Maria decided to lay out on the grass like Captain Rogers had earlier. Closing her eyes she asked, "So when did you catch me, Captain Rogers?" She heard the Captain lay down, a few feet away from her. "Steve, please. And the day I played ball with those kids. I saw you lurking in the alley." "Why did you wait until now to call me out?" "Well I didn't want to make your assignment any more difficult for you." "So why do it now?" "Because I got lonely."Hill opened her eyes at that, and glanced over towards the Captain. He has his eyes closed, but his cheeks are the tiniest bit flushed. Hmm.

"So you draw?" Hill asks.

"Hmm? Oh I dabble a bit. Nothing serious. I'm not very good." He answered.

"Not very good? I doubt it. You seem to be good at everything you try."

"Were you watching that baseball game?"

Hill let out a soft laugh, and rolled onto her side. "I saw you purposefully act like you were terrible. I know you're good at baseball."

Steve just smiled in response. His eyes opened suddenly, and he sat up, dragging his phone out of his pocket. He looked eager, but now he seems to be blushing again. "Uh, I was wondering…" He trailed off.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if you could show me how to make a phone call on this, Lieutenant Hill." He says it all very fast, like he's embarrassed, and afraid she's going to laugh.

Hill didn't laugh, instead, she sat up and took the phone from him. It's an iphone. It's actually a newer version than hers. Hill just shook her head. Who would set up Captain America with the newest piece of tech out there? Hill answered, "Well if I have to call you Steve, then you have to call me Maria. And don't feel bad about not knowing how to use this. I couldn't figure out mine for a few weeks. It just takes a bit of time is all. She carefully showed him a few of the icons, and discussed their purposes and uses. She is sure to point out the phone, as well as the address book, and texting. She handed the phone back to him. "Thank you so much. The guy that got it for me just told me that it's pretty self explanatory." Steve was smiling at her. "I think I'm gonna have to pay you back." "Oh that's not necessary, I was happy to help." Hill spits out right as he said "By buying you dinner." Steve stood up, and offered her his hand, "I'm not taking no for an answer. I would have never figured it out unless you had helped me. Let me express my thanks." Hill didn't like it when men try to tell her what to do, but she didn't think Steve meant anything, so she agreed. He gathered his sketchbook, and walked back to his bike. "Mine is a bit further down." Hill said, and strode off in the direction of the bike. She had managed to get it uncovered by the time Steve made it to her. They took off in the direction of town. Hill worried about what was going to happen. Now that he had discovered her should she head back to base? Get another operative to come and relieve her? Or should she just see what happens? For now, Hill decided not worry about it, and just enjoy the ride. And the free dinner.


	6. Chapter 6

After they are seated at the small mom and pop diner Steve had found, a silence fell over the table. They each quietly perused their menus after ordering drinks. Hill found herself not feeling awkward about the silence. So many people feel the need to talk, can't stand a few minutes of silence. Hill appreciated that Steve might be able to understand the value of it. Hill looked up, and met Steve's eyes, which were trained on her. "What," Hill asked. "Nothing, um, its nothing." Steve responded, obviously flustered. "No, seriously, what is it?" "Well, I was just wondering if you knew what this song was." Steve asked. "Steve, you don't have to be embarrassed about asking me questions. You've missed a lot. It's understandable. And it's not annoying. Don't worry about it. And to answer your question, I do. This is _Oh! Darling_ by The Beatles. They were popular all through the '60s." Steve smiled at her then, and Hill was surprised when she smiled back. "So uh, do you know what you're getting?" Steve just shook his head and turned back to his menu.

After ordering their food, the conversation turned back to music. Steve wanted to know more about music, and popular culture related to it. "I'm probably not the best resource. I don't really listen to today's music, but I can tell you a bit about the fifties, sixties, and seventies." Her answer seemed to surprise Steve, but he just nodded for her to continue. "Well the fifties truly were about Elvis. Elvis Presley, aka The King." Hill continued on about Elvis, The Beatles, and other musicians of note. "We could probably download some on your phone, just so you can get some samples." Just then their food arrived.

"What did you mean just the fifties, sixties, and seventies? Why not any more recent than that?" Steve asked. Hill finished chewing the French fry she had just bit into. "Well those are just the decades of music I like the best. There are of course great songs, bands, and artists from the eighties and nineties, and even in this century, but I just tend to like stuff from earlier." Steve nodded his understanding.

They ate silently for a few minutes. Hill was startled when Steve spoke suddenly. "So what are you going to do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, are you gonna keep tailing me, or do you just want to go on a road trip?"

The frankness of his question amazed Hill, but she took it in stride. "Well I was trying to decide. Because I should really inform Fury that I have been compromised, and he would send another agent."

"But you're not gonna do that."

Hill raised her eyebrow. "I'm not?"

"Nope. You've already decided what you're gonna do, you just haven't admitted it yet." Steve said as he took a sip of his soda.

Hill thought on this for a moment, then answered, "Well you know me so well, why don't you tell me what I'm gonna do?"

Steve smiled softly at her, "I wouldn't presume to tell you what to do, Maria."

Probably a wise choice. Hill was silent for a minute, trying to decide her next course of action. "Alright, road trip it is. Where are you headed anyway?"

"Where are we headed, you mean."

Hill just quirked her eyebrow and took another bite of fries.

"Well I'm not really sure. I thought I'd just ride, and see where I ended up."

Hill smiled. That sounded like a great idea.

Steve and Maria rode for about a week and a half, staying (in separate rooms) at tiny little motels all around New England. Hill found herself enjoying her time spent with Steve. Every once in a while, he'd want to stop to sketch something. Hill would occupy herself by reading in one of the books she'd picked up along the way. Sometimes they talked, and sometimes they were just quiet, leaving each other to their thoughts. They laughed a lot, which Hill found strange, but really nice.

One night, it was fairly late when they found a motel. Steve's bike had been making a strange rattling sound, so when they dismounted, he motioned for Maria to just go ahead and get her room. "I'm just gonna check my bike real fast, I think I might have lodged a rock." She hesitated, but went and checked in. "Here you go, dear, room 107." "Thanks."

Hill headed up and decided to hop in the shower. She didn't know how long Steve was going to be, but she stank, and they could talk in the morning.

Steve was a bit surprised when a lady came out from the main office and wordlessly handed him a room key. "What's this?" She just smiled and said, I'm closing up, you can square it in the morning. Steve nodded, surprised at the woman's trusting nature. He looked down at the room key. 107.


	7. Chapter 7

Steve entered the room, pulled off his shirt, and flopped down on the bed. He was exhausted after a long day on the road, and all he wanted to do was pass out. "Man, these walls are thin. I can hear the shower on in the next room." Steve thought. If he listened hard enough, he thought he might even be able to hear a bit of singing. Steve sat up. He did hear singing. In the shower. And it was coming from his shower. Steve stood, and faced the bathroom door. It was closed, but there was definitely someone in there. Steve hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. "What else am I gonna do?" He walked over to the door, and just as he reached the handle, the water stopped, and the singing became audible.

_Shall I stay, would it be a sin,_

_ if I can't help, falling in love with you._

Steve's hand froze on the handle. He knew that voice.

_ Like a river flows, surely to the sea, darling, so it goes, _

_some things aren't meant to be. _

Steve felt the handle turn under his hand. Oh this wasn't going to be good.

_Take my hand, take my whole life too,_

_ for I can't help falling in love with…_

Maria opened the door, and let out a slightly undignified noise. (For a SHIELD Agent) Steve stood before her, bare-chested, mouth slightly agape. His face was getting redder by the second.

Steve stared open mouthed at Maria. Maria, in a towel, with water droplets still on her shoulders, and hair dripping wet. Maria in a towel, which really did not cover much of her at all. Her legs were completely bare. Maria had really nice legs. Steve shook his head, and pulled his eyes back to her face. Steve backed up quickly, almost tripping over Maria's backpack strewn on the floor. "How did I miss that?" Steve wondered absently. "Oh, I'm so sorry! There must have been a mistake with the rooms. This lady just came and handed me the key, and said she was closing for the night, and so I just took it, and I didn't even think about it. She must have thought that we were staying together, and oh I'm so sorry!" Steve finally stopped for breath, and checked to see what Maria's face looked like. She was…blushing? "Uh, it's fine. Uh, just give me a second." She looked at him expectantly. "What, oh!" Steve finally grasped her meaning and turned around, facing the wall. "Again, Maria, I'm really sorry. I'll go down right now and try to get another room." He heard rustling sounds behind him, and tried not to think about the fact that Maria was changing right behind him.

"It's fine. You said that they were closing for the night anyway. You can stay here."

"Oh no, I couldn't. It wouldn't be proper."

Steve almost turned around when he heard Maria laugh, "Steve. It's two thousand twelve. It is perfectly acceptable for two people of the opposite sex to sleep in the same bed. And even if it wasn't, what are you gonna do? Go down there and get that poor woman out of bed?"

Steve ducked his head, thinking it over. "No, I suppose not. I wouldn't want to inconvenience her anyways."

"Exactly. That settles it. You're staying here. You can turn around now."

Steve turned around slowly, and gave her a small smile. She was now dressed in a pair of loose sweat pants, with the SHIELD emblem on the side, and a tank top.

"I'm done in the shower, if you want it."

"Oh, uh, thank you." Steve grabbed his bag and headed in.

"Whew." Hill exhaled softly as he closed the door.

Steve came out of the bathroom, dressed in plaid pajama pants. He had debated putting on a shirt, but he never liked sleeping in them, so in the end he went without.

"So you sing too?" Maria asked him. She was sitting on the bed, propped up by a pillow, book open on her lap. "Hmmm?" Steve asked, unsure what she meant.

"In the shower. You sing too?"

Steve gave her a small, embarrassed smile, and nodded before saying, "I used to get teased about it, in the army."

Maria smiled back at him, "me too."

"You were in the army?"

"One doesn't just join SHIELD straight out of high school, you realize."

Steve sat down on the other side of the bed. "It makes sense, I just never really thought about it before." He pulled back the covers, and laid down. He was really beat.

"You ready to sleep? I'm exhausted." Maria asked him.

"Sounds good."

Maria reached over and flipped off the lamp. She settled back into bed, ready to drop off into sleep. After laying there quietly for a half hour, she heard Steve breath out a long sigh. "You have trouble getting to sleep too?" She asked him, breaking the silence of the room.

"Sometimes. It just depends on the night, and how tired I am."

They lay there quietly for a few minutes, before Maria comes to a decision. "Damn it."

"What is it?"

"I'm not gonna get to sleep anytime soon, and I have a ton of laundry I need to do. And this place has a twenty four hour Laundromat."

Steve sat up quickly, startling Maria. "That's a great idea! Laundry is always so boring, but if we did it together at least there would be someone to talk to."

Maria laughed at his enthusiasm for the idea. She sat up, and flicked on the lamp. "Alright then, let's go."

Five minutes later Maria was putting bills into the machine to get some quarters, and Steve was sorting his clothes. They got their loads going, chatting about everything and nothing. Maria sat down on a dryer across the aisle from her load. Steve leaned against the machine next to her, and told her about growing up in Brooklyn during the thirties, and about learning to play baseball. She talked about growing up in Chicago. He told her about finally joining the army, and all the testing involved pre-serum. She told him about being picked for SHIELD, and how it felt nice to finally fit in somewhere. He got quiet when he talked about the War, and losing Bucky. She put her hand on his arm, and took a breath before starting to tell the story about her abusive father. The man was an alcoholic, fixated on her mother's death during childbirth, and resentful of what he was left with. When she finished her story, she was a bit embarrassed. She didn't know what had possessed her to open up like that. Steve stood straight, and moved to directly in front of her. She was nearly the same height as him, sitting cross legged on a dryer. She wiped her cheek dry as she met his gaze. He was staring at her intently. He leaned in, hand reaching for her cheek, catching the last bit of moisture her hand had forgot. She couldn't breathe. He leaned in closer, and closer, and _he is going to kiss me,_ and then DING! Steve jumped, startled by the washers going off. Maria let out the breath she was holding.

She hopped off the dryer, sliding by Steve, and turned off the buzzer. She moved her clothes from the washer to the dryer, and put in some quarters, as Steve mirrored her actions. She set the timer, and leaned against the machine, eyes closed.

Maria felt the warmth of Steve's body standing in front of her. She opened her eyes, and tilted her head back to look him in the eye. Just as Maria opened her mouth to say something, Steve leaned down and kissed her. His lips met hers, and he pulled Maria close, his hands wrapping around her back. She snaked her arms up, running through his hair with one hand, and wrapping the other around the back of his neck. She pulled his bottom lip between hers and gently nipped at it. He responded by pulling her closer to him. She let out a soft gasp, and he took advantage, letting his tongue meet hers. It danced along her tongue, playing across the roof of her mouth, before he suddenly sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, and mirroring her actions earlier, gently bit down. She thrust her tongue forward and into his mouth, sweeping slowly, sliding against his tongue. They kissed until Maria felt her lungs were going to burst. She stopped, tucking her head into his chest, breathing hard. She could feel him, equally out of breath, resting his chin against her head. Maria turned her head up. Steve had an enormous grin on his face. Maria returned it with one of her own.


	8. Chapter 8

Maria climbed into bed, thoroughly exhausted from the long night of laundry. And kissing. She had kissed Steve Rogers. And more importantly, he had kissed back. Maria thought back to the day she had first seen him, nearly a month ago now, when he had walked onto the bridge of the helicarrier with a look of awe on his face. She had found him attractive even then, but over the last few weeks, first working with him to stop Loki, and then tailing him, Maria had gotten to see the many sides of Steve Rogers. But since the day he had called her out, Maria had gotten to really know him. All the little quirks and oddities that make up humans. And Steve had a lot of them, or maybe it was just that he was from a time when things were done differently. Like how he always pulled out her chair for her before she sat down. Or how he would absently drum his fingers on the table when he had to wait for food. And how he always seemed to be hungry. And how he hummed softly when he worked on his bike. Not to mention that he sang in the shower. Maria gave a small smirk at the thought, and turned to look at Steve. He was standing on the other side of the bed, looking at it with look of uncertainty on his face.

"Steve." His eyes shifted, meeting Maria's gaze. "What is it?" Steve hesitated, unsure what to say. He didn't know how to communicate what he was feeling. "Steve, are you alright?" Steve smiled a bit at that. He was most definitely alright. It's just, he had felt awkward before, sharing a bed with a woman who he was very attracted to, but now that he had discovered that she returned those feelings, he didn't know how to go about sharing a bed. His eyes pleaded with Maria to understand what he couldn't say.

She must have understood, because she reached over and wrapped her hand around his wrist, pulling him down on to the bed. She handed him the edge of the comforter, then leaned over and turned out the light as he stretched out on his back. She lifted his arm, and squirmed her way between it and his body. His breath caught as she placed her head on his chest. She whispered to him, "I'm tired, and I want to sleep. And I won't be able to sleep unless I know exactly where you are." Steve smiled, and kissed the top of her head, inhaling the sweet smell of her shampoo as he closed his eyes.

Steve was woken up the next morning by a stream of light falling on his eyelids. Before he even opened his eyes he knew that something was different. There was something on his chest. When he opened his blurry eyes he was met with the most gorgeous sight he had ever seen. Maria lay on her stomach next to him, her hand over his heart. Her rumpled hair attested to the fact that she had shifted in her sleep. The sun was cascading in through the window at such a perfect angle. Steve was suddenly struck with an overwhelming urge to capture the moment in time. He slowly lifted her hand off his chest, and sliding out from under it, replaced it on the bed. He stood, and then checked to make sure she was still asleep. Yep. Still beautiful too. He snuck over to his pack, and pulled out his sketchpad and pencils. Steve sat himself on a chair near the foot of the bed. The angle of the sun on her face was perfect here. He sat for a moment, transfixed by the sleeping Maria. She had a look of total peace, something she never seemed to quite achieve while conscious. Steve shook his head, and began to sketch Maria's sleeping form. Steve knew that she held inner turmoil, but she had good reasons. Listening to her talk last night, Steve had had to restrain himself when she told him about her abusive father. He wanted to kill the man for daring to lay a finger on her. Not only for that, but for failing her as a father. For not being a parent to her, and for forcing her to grow up fast, and to raise herself. God, she was so strong. And smart. And funny. And independent. And a million other little things that Steve had noticed in the past few weeks. When he had stepped onto the helicarrier a month ago, she was the very first thing she'd seen. And the way she made him feel as he watched her focus single mindedly on her work, it had surprised him. As he had pulled out his wallet to pay Fury, he had then continued his look around the helicarrier, acting as though it was to blame for the loss. In reality, it had been Maria. She could bury herself so deeply in her work she appeared cold and aloof to most people. But Steve saw right through it. Steve could empathize with her. After all the things he had seen, it was difficult to let yourself relax. She had a hard time letting herself enjoy the moment, she had told him last night. Steve knew that feeling; when you had been through so much crap that you can't even see the point anymore. Steve saw how she allowed herself to relax around him, and in turn, allowed him to relax, and he loved her for it.

He was putting the finishing touches on the sketch when his subject blinked her eyes open. They rested on the empty pillow next to her second. She frowned, but when she turned her head slightly, and saw him in the chair, it slowly turned into a sleepy smile.

"What are you doing?" She asked him, voice still thick with sleep.

"Drawing," Steve answered vaguely.

"Drawing what?" Maria propped herself up on her elbow.

Steve hesitated for a heartbeat before answering. "You."

Maria raised an eyebrow. "Well are you gonna let me see?"

"Almost finished. . . and done." Steve raised himself from the chair and walked over to the bed before sitting down next to Maria. He silently handed the sketchpad to her.

She sat up as she took it from him, and then looked at the paper. Her eyes widened at what she saw. There was no way she looked that good while sleeping. The way he had drawn her- she was beautiful, and carefree, and content. She couldn't remember ever feeling like that before she had met Steve. But Steve did make her feel all those things, and on top of that, he made her really, really happy. And she loved him for it.

She surprised Steve when she set the drawing to the side, and pulled him into a tight hug. He quickly returned it, wrapping his arms around her small frame. "It's amazing." She said quietly, her lips touching his ear. He pulled her tighter to him in response, and nearly moaned when he felt her breasts against his chest. All too soon she pulled back and his breath caught as he saw how dark her eyes were.

"It's only amazing because you're in it." He said, his voice low.

Maria smiled, and suddenly hopped off the bed. "Oh, well in that case maybe…" She trailed off as she turned back to look at him.

"Maybe what?"

She pursed her lips, and flashed him a grin before she turned and headed for the bathroom. As she walked through the door she said, "Well maybe next time I'll let you pose me."


	9. Chapter 9

Maria was itching to get moving that morning. She had a surprise for Steve. He didn't know it yet, but Maria was in possession of a cabin. Well, a safe house really. It was up in the mountains, just a few hours away. And Maria wanted to show it to Steve. After breakfast, Maria and Steve hit the road. She took the lead, navigating them up into the mountains. After a few hours, and one stop to help a horse get out of some wire off the side of the road, Steve began to wonder where they were going. If they went much further north they were going to hit snow, but before they did, Maria pulled off the main highway and onto a packed dirt side road. Maria was feeling a bit nervous because she had never told anyone about, let alone actually shown anyone her safe house before. That was the point of it, really. It was a big deal for her to decide to show Steve it's location, let alone actually invite him in. And that was what she planned on doing. As they drew closer to the cabin, Maria's nervousness mostly dissipated to excitement. She thought Steve would really like it. There was no television, no internet connection, and cell phones only worked if you stood next to the south facing windows. It was very warm, and cozy feeling, Maria had always thought. Although small, it had two bedrooms, (one of which Maria had mostly converted into an armory of sorts) a bathroom, kitchen, and a living space that doubled as the dining room. The living room was lined with bookshelves, full with classic novels. And about three miles away from the cabin was a small shed, filled with all sorts of emergency items, but also had a snowmobile. Maria thought Steve might enjoy getting to use it.

A couple of turns later, and they were there. Steve seemed a bit surprised, when Maria dismounted her bike, but he followed suit. "So what is this place?" He asked after he took off his helmet.

"Its… my cabin." Maria answered, suddenly feeling a bit shy about the whole thing.

"Your cabin? You just own a cabin in the middle of Maine?"

"Well… yes."

"You live here." Steve seemed to be having trouble with the situation.

"Well, no. Not really. I have crew quarters on the helicarrier, and also at SHIELD HQ, for when I'm on duty. And since I'm never really off duty, this is just my safe house."

"Ah." Steve nodded his understanding.

"So, do you want to go in? I mean, I thought it might be nice, to you know, take a break from the road for a few days, but I mean, if you don't want to, then obviously we don't have to…."

"'Ria. It's great. Come on, let's go in. You got your key?"

Maria nodded, and grabbing her pack, headed for the door. Steve followed. When they reached the door, Maria struggled for a minute, trying to juggle her pack, helmet, and get the right key. Steve grabbed her pack and slung it over his shoulder, then smiled at her. She stared up at him, momentarily forgetting about getting the door open. Steve cleared his throat, and arched an eyebrow at her. Maria blushed bright red as she realized her mistake, and then turned back to the lock, hurriedly opened the door. As she walked through the doorframe, she swore she heard Steve chuckle quietly, as he followed her in. "So, uh, this is it. I mean, there's two bedrooms, over there." Maria gestured towards the left of the cabin, "And the bathroom's in between them. Normally the hot water heater works fine, but I haven't been out here for a few months, so you never know." As she spoke she tried to take her pack back from Steve, who just repositioned it on his shoulder and strode over to the doorway she had gestured at. Maria trailed after him. The first room Steve walked into was the bedroom-converted-armory. Maria leaned against the doorframe as he inspected the room. "Are you expecting an army?" Steve asked. Maria smirked at that. The room might seem a bit excessive, every wall was entirely covered with different guns and weapons. There was a stainless steel counter which wound around two walls of the room, underneath which were locked cabinets filled with bullets for all the different guns, as well as some explosive devices. A closet was the wall opposite the door, and inside it there was clothing for all different weather, as well as money in every currency Maria could get her hands on. There were also several different passports, each with a different name on them. She knew that some people might consider this level of preparedness paranoid, but after everything Maria had been through, and working for an organization like SHIELD, Maria had learned that it paid to be paranoid.

Maria laughed, and shook her head before heading into the other bedroom to drop her helmet, jacket and boots. Steve followed after her, and set down their packs, then his own helmet and jacket. "We'll need to get some fresh food, if we're going to stay here for a few days. There's a little grocery store, about twenty miles back, but it'll be closed by the time we get there. Might as well just wait and go tomorrow. Sound good?" Maria asked him. "Sounds good." Steve answered as he closed the space between him and Maria. She turned up her head to look at him. She reached for his hands. As she took them in her own, she heard a quick intake of breath, and saw a flash of pain flicker across his face. She looked down at their joined hands. She turned his over so she could see his palms. Her eyes widened at what she saw. There, across both his palms were red, angry marks that looked an awful lot like barbed wire. Maria tried to think if he had been wearing gloves earlier. He must have torn it with his bare hands off the horse they had found earlier.

"Steve!" Maria exclaimed, upset that he hadn't said anything.

"Shh, 'Ria its alright. My hands will heal up in just a few hours. And they don't even really hurt that bad."

Maria raised her eyebrow at him and tightened her grip just slightly on one of his hands. His response of a quiet grunt was all it took for Maria to roll her eyes and lead him into the bathroom. "Sit." She ordered him. He sat down on the edge of the bathtub, his hands upturned in front of him. He watched as Maria opened up the medicine cabinet behind the mirror and pulled out some supplies. She knelt down in front of him, gently took his hands and began to inspect them. She worked quickly and efficiently, applying some antibacterial to each palm, and then carefully wrapping both in white bandages. Steve watched her quietly. She didn't even seem to be aware that she was muttering under her breath the whole time. "..Stupid, kind, oaf of a man. Won't even admit that he hurt his hand, doesn't want to inconvenience anyone. Has to stop and help every living creature he sees, can't be like most men and just drive on by, nope, you have to help everything and everybody…" Steve smiled at her before interrupting her quiet grumbling, "You wouldn't have me any other way." Maria stopped talking, seeming to realize it wasn't just in her head at that moment. She suddenly had wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him close. "No, no I wouldn't." Steve brought his bandaged hands around Maria, playing his fingers through her hair at the base of her neck. Maria slackened her grip, and moved so she was face to face with him. She gazed into his eyes for a moment, then turned to pick up the first aid supplies scattered next to her. As she stood, instead of loosening his grip on her, Steve tightened it, pulling her back and down. He pulled her back towards him, and before she could protest, kissed her firmly on the cheek. Maria leaned her head back against his shoulder laughing in surprise at his sudden movement. As her laughter faded, she turned her head towards his, and kissed him hard on mouth. Just as he opened his mouth to deepen the kiss, she jumped up, dancing away as he tried to grab her again. She shook her head as she replaced the supplies. Then she turned back towards him, grabbed him by the wrist and led him back into the living space.

She surprised him by pushing him down onto the couch, then snagging a book off the shelf before returning to join him. She sat down on the end of it, and then he stretched out on, placing his head on a pillow beside her. Maria opened the book and began to read aloud. She got so into the story, that she didn't realize when she began to run her hand through Steve's hair. The motion quickly put Steve to sleep, and Maria, tired after a long day of riding, soon followed him.

The next morning, Maria woke up in her bed, even though she couldn't remember getting into it the night before. She got up, and wandered into the kitchen, where some suspicious sounds were occurring. She found Steve rummaging through the cupboards, trying to find anything that wasn't an MRE. Maria stood there for a second, just watching the shirtless freshly showered Steve Rogers rummage through her kitchen. It was a sight which Maria could really get used to seeing. His back was to her as he moved to the upper cupboards. She walked forward, and wrapped her arms around Steve's torso. He stilled, but then seemed to relax as she placed a kiss on his shoulder. He turned, her arms still encircling him, and then returned the kiss, but this time on her lips. After a few minutes, he pulled back, giving them both a chance to breath. "Good morning." Maria said.

"Good morning, 'Ria."

"We have to go get supplies. There is literally nothing here but MREs. You will find no regular food." Maria answered.

Steve stole another kiss, and then released her to go get ready. He dressed quickly, and Maria was ready a few minutes later. They got on their bikes and headed to the grocery store.

Maria had quickly written down a list before they had left, and on arrival, handed half of it to Steve. "I don't care what else you get, but we need some basics." Maria quickly planted a kiss on his cheek, and then headed over towards the fresh grocery department, leaving him to deal with the dry goods.

Maria felt something vibrate on her hip. Her phone. She pulled it out, and glanced at the screen. Fury. She headed for an empty isle, trying to get away from anyone who might eavesdrop.

"Hill."

"Yes, Director Fury?" She answered.

"Hill. You haven't checked in for weeks. What the hell is going on? I need a status update on Captain Rogers' whereabouts."

"Uh, well, sir…"

"Yes..?"

"I'm not going to be able to give you a status update."

"Why the hell not?

"Because I.. I lost him." Hill responded quickly.

"How did you lose him? He has a GPS enabled cell phone."

"Well he lost it sir, and I can't seem to…"

"Hill. What really happened?"

Maria froze. This was her opportunity. She could come clean about her relationship with the Captain. She could request some leave, and continue on travelling with Steve.

"Well, Hill?"

"Sir, I.. I've been compromised."

"Explain."

"Well, Captain Rogers discovered me. He called me out one day, and offered for me to ride with him, and now we've just been travelling about the country." Maria spit it out quickly.

"Excellent."

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Now you can use your position of trust to leverage the Captain if we need him again."

"Yes. Exactly." Maria said sarcastically. "I'll just continue travelling with Captain Rogers, gathering intel, and then using it to gain his trust. Will that be satisfactory?"

"Hill, what has gotten into you? You have a mission. Follow it. And if you can't do that, I can find someone who can."

"Yes sir. The mission is most important." Maria snarked back. She couldn't believe that Fury wanted her to gain the Captain's trust only to use it against him.

"Hilll.." Fury warned, but Maria cut him off.

"Understood sir. Hill out."

Maria pulled the battery out of her phone and threw it into a garbage can. She stormed back over to the fresh produce section.

Steve came out from around the corner, staring after her quickly disappearing form with his mouth open.

**_"I'll just continue travelling with Captain Rogers, gathering intel, and then using it to gain his trust. Will that be satisfactory?"_**

He couldn't believe what he had just overheard.

**_"Yes sir. The mission is most important."_**

There was no way that Maria would just use start a relationship with him just so she could continue to tail him..

**_"Understood sir. Hill out."_**

… would she?


	10. Chapter 10

**_"I'll just continue travelling with Captain Rogers, gathering intel, and then using it to gain his trust. Will that be satisfactory?"_**

**_"Yes sir. The mission is most important."_**

**_ "Understood sir. Hill out."_**

Maria's words rang in Steve's ears as he stared unseeingly at the boxes of cereal in front of him. Suddenly an arm wrapped around his waist, Steve straightened sharply, and quickly turned to see his attacker. Seeing only Maria's smiling face, Steve relaxed for a moment, before recalling the conversation he had overheard. His brow darkened.

"Ready to go?" Maria asked. Steve nodded, and extricating himself from Maria's grasp, strode towards the check out. Maria stared after him for a second before shrugging it off and following after him.

After she checked out, (Steve had just set down the groceries on the belt and strode out of the store) Maria headed out of the store laden with bags. Steve was leaning against his bike, arms crossed, and eyes downcast. Something was definitely wrong, but Maria was not a very open person to begin with, and had an even harder time getting people to open up to her. She figured that Steve would tell her what was wrong when he could. He did help her strap down the groceries, but they worked in silence. As Maria climbed on her bike, she hoped that whatever was bugging Steve would fix itself, and they could go back to the way things were.

Two days later, and things most certainly were not any better. If anything, things had gotten worse, a lot worse. Steve barely spoke two words to her the entire time, speaking only when necessary. And on top of that, he had refused to share the large bed in the bedroom, instead opting for the couch, which was too short for his frame. He had stopped initiating any kissing, or touching of any kind for that matter. And when Maria had tried to hold his hand while reading on the couch, Steve had held it for a moment before excusing himself. Maria hadn't made it a big deal at the time. She figured that maybe Steve was just struggling a bit with the modern day dynamics of a relationship, and was just trying to sort stuff out. But as one day stretched into two, and dawn was fast approaching of three, Maria decided she had to do something. Whatever Steve was struggling with, he obviously wasn't equipped to deal with. Maria tried to squash the voice in her head that told her that Steve was regretting getting involved with her, but was too polite to say anything. After all, why on earth would Steve Rogers, Captain Freaking America want anything to do with little old Maria Hill, daughter of an alcoholic abuser? Maria had known that he was too good for her. She was damaged goods. Broken, even. And yet… she had thought that maybe, maybe Steve was just a bit broken too. Maria shook her head, trying to shake the voice of self doubt that haunted her. She could hear Steve out in the kitchen, getting breakfast. As Maria laid there on her bed, staring at the ceiling, she suddenly got very angry.

So maybe Steve did regret getting into a relationship with her. He should be man enough to admit it to her face instead of acting like a dick for days! It wasn't her fault he didn't have the skills to be in a relationship. Maria didn't even know that she had the skills necessary to make a relationship work, but she knew that communication was an important one, and there hadn't been any for days. Whatever Steve's problem was, she had given him enough time to try and deal with it. She had been happy with Steve. Happier than she had been in a very long time. And she wasn't just going to let go of it without a fight. If Steve was regretting his decision, then he was going to have to tell her to her face. And if not, he was still going to have to explain what in god's name was making him act like asshole of the year. Maria jumped out of bed, and headed for her door. Whatever the hell Steve's problem was, she was going to find out.

Steve was just pulling his breakfast off the stove when Maria stormed into the kitchen. "You are an absolute moron with pathetic communication skills!" Maria yelled, her hands on her hips. Steve turned to face her, mouth open in shock. "It's been two days! Whatever is wrong, whatever I did wrong, you need to tell me so I can fix it. I… I don't know what's wrong with you. Maybe you're regretting your decision to get involved with me. That's fine. You wouldn't be the first. But at least be enough of a man to tell me to my face instead of moping around hoping that if you act like enough of a child, I'll do the hard thing and break up with you! So tell me, tell me what's wrong, so we can fix it, or be enough of a man to tell me you don't want to see me anymore!"

Maria finished her rant, and breathing hard, stared expectantly at Steve. Who still was gaping at her. And looking freaking delicious while doing so. Damn it, focus. He still hadn't said anything. He still hadn't said anything. "Fine. If you don't want to talk that's fine. Then I guess this," Maria gestured with her hand between the two of them, "is over." She turned, and headed for the front door. She didn't know exactly where she was going, but she needed to get out of the cabin, out of his presence. She was halted by Steve's sudden shout, "You're a spy!" Maria spun around, "Well no duh! You knew that I worked for SHIELD since the beginning, how is this news?"

"That's not what I mean. You've been spying on me. I know you're still reporting to Fury." Maria opened her mouth, but Steve continued. "Don't even try to deny it, I heard the phone call!"

Phone call? What on earth is he talking about… oh.

"The phone call at the market? That was… that was Fury trying to still get me to report back to him. I turned him down."

"What?"

"I turned him down. I would never spy on someone whom I was in lo… in a relationship with." Maria quickly covered what she had been about to say. "How could you think that of me, after all that we've been through? I… I told you about my life, about my family, about my DAD!" Her voice got louder with every word, becoming more and more incredulous. She couldn't believe Steve could think so little of her.

"Maria, wait."

"No, Steve, I don't care. You obviously don't care about me as much as I care about you, and that's enough. Goodbye." With that she quickly strode towards the door.

"God damn it! I love you, Maria!"

Maria froze, her hand on the doorknob. Steve was staring after her. The seconds seemed to drag on. Steve could literally kick himself right now for spitting that out. Of course Maria didn't feel that way about him yet. He knew it was still considered way too early for them to say that to each other. When Maria turned around though, he decided he didn't care. As long as she stayed.

Maria turned around, and running back towards Steve, leapt into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and her arms slid around his neck. She kissed him hard, trying to put all of her emotions into that kiss. She put her frustration with him, and her love for his willingness to finally be open with her. Steve had caught her, thank god for his super soldier reflexes, and was kissing her back with just as much feeling. After a long moment, Maria pulled back, resting her forehead against his. She quietly whispered against his lips, "I love you too. You moron."


End file.
